Bohlin to Lead Institute in Connecticut

Can we teach students how to internalize virtue? Can we engage their hearts as well as their minds without compromising academic instruction? To address these questions, Dr. Karen Bohlin of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character (CAEC) at Boston University will be leading a one-day Internalizing Virtue Institute as a follow-up to her successful presentation at this spring’s Assets-Based Character Education Conference.

The institute covers material from the text Building Character in Schools, that Karen Bohlin and Kevin Ryan published in 1999 through Jossey-Bass. This intensive session outlines essential components to keep character education meaningful to students, integral to the curriculum, and a vital part of the school life. A New Jersey teacher highlighted the following points she heard at the institute, "A random act of kindness does not a virtue make. "It is about knowing the good, loving the good, and doing the good. ...we realized that good teaching should feed all three parts."

Teachers and administrators are encouraged to attend and learn practical strategies to effectively integrate virtue-centered character education into school curricula and culture. Participants from a recent institute noted, "The wide range of information on various aspects of character education provided here left me with a rich resource for developing an action plan. This institute was a terrific program and wonderful opportunity." "What we learned both validated [our current] program and inspired us with new perspectives." "We were delighted to gather specific lesson ideas and relevant materials."

The institute will be held at a conference facility along the shore of Long Island Sound in Madison, CT. Space for the institute is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

For further information about the institute, visit the What's New area of the SEE web site.